Shortenable squeegee

ABSTRACT

Cleaning apparatus including a squeegee including a blade held in a spine, wherein the spine and the blade are shortenable in length.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to squeegees for mopping floors and other surfaces, and particularly to a squeegee with a blade and spine that may be shortened in length.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Squeegees are well known instruments used for moving water over floor surfaces, or for cleaning glass windows and the like. A wash cloth may be draped over the squeegee blade for washing floors, for example.

In general, squeegees have a tubular handle portion at one end of which is a squeegee blade affixed to a stiff or generally rigid spine. The squeegee blade generally has a flexible floor contacting component made of rubber or neoprene. The width and rigidity of the squeegee blade and spine may make it difficult to reach tight corners of floors or windows. Although the prior art shows hinged squeegee blades, the blade and spine remain straight with the same width at all times.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention seeks to provide a novel squeegee with a blade that may be shortened in length, as is described more in detail hereinbelow.

There is provided in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention cleaning apparatus including a squeegee including a blade held in a spine, wherein the spine and the blade are shortenable in length. For example, the squeegee may include a flexible blade held in a spine, the spine and the blade each being foldable along a fold line. The spine may be hinged along its fold line.

In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention the squeegee includes a handle and a folding actuator mounted on the handle, the folding actuator being connected to the spine and/or the blade and having at least two operative positions, a first operative position in which the spine and the blade are generally straight and a second operative position in which the spine and the blade are bent along the fold lines into a folded position. The folding actuator may include a lever connected by a linkage to at least one of the spine and the blade, wherein pivoting the lever about a pivot moves the spine and the blade between the at least two operative positions. Alternatively, sliding the lever along the handle may move the spine and the blade between the at least two operative positions.

Further in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention the spine and the blade may be foldable about more than one fold line. The folding actuator may bend the spine and the blade simultaneously along the fold lines. Alternatively the folding actuator may bend the spine and the blade along one of the fold lines independently of the other fold lines.

In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention the squeegee may include a main spine and a main blade, and at least one auxiliary spine and at least one blade that modularly attach to the main spine and the main blade.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will be understood and appreciated more fully from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the drawings in which:

FIGS. 1 and 2 are simplified illustrations of a squeegee constructed and operative in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, respectively in straight and folded positions;

FIG. 3 is a simplified illustration of a squeegee constructed and operative in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, with a different folding actuator for folding the spine and blade of the squeegee; and

FIG. 4 is a simplified illustration of a squeegee constructed and operative in accordance with yet another embodiment of the present invention, with a modularly constructed spine and blade.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

Reference is now made to FIGS. 1 and 2, which illustrate a squeegee 10, constructed and operative in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

Squeegee 10 may include a flexible blade 12 held in a spine 14. Blade 12 may be made of an elastomeric material, such as but not limited to, rubber or neoprene, for example. The spine 14 may be made of a rigid material, such as but not limited to, metal, plastic or wood. Spine 14 and blade 12 are each foldable along a fold line 16. Spine 14 may be hinged along its fold line 16 by means of a hinge 18, or may simply be made of sufficiently resilient materials (plastics or flexible metals, like spring steel) to permit folding about fold line 16.

Squeegee 10 may include a handle 20 made of a rigid material, such as but not limited to, metal, plastic or wood. Squeegee 10 may also include a folding actuator 22 mounted on the handle 20. Folding actuator 22 is connected to the spine 14 and/or the blade 12 by a linkage 24. FIG. 1 illustrates squeegee 10 in a first operative position in which spine 14 and blade 12 are generally straight. FIG. 2 illustrates squeegee 10 in a second operative position in which spine 14 and blade 12 are bent along fold lines 16 into a folded position.

In the non-limiting, illustrated embodiment, spine 14 and blade 12 may be foldable about more than one fold-line 16. Fold lines 16 may or may not be symmetrical about handle 20. Folding actuator 22 may include a lever 26 connected by linkage 24 (e.g., cords/wires and pulleys) to spine 14 and/or blade 12. In this example there are two levers 26, each connected to one of the foldable portions of blade 12. Each lever 26 may be pivoted about a pivot 28. Pivoting the lever 26 about pivot 28 moves spine 14 and blade 12 from one operative position to the other.

Alternatively, as shown in the embodiment of FIG. 3, sliding a lever 30 along handle 20 may move spine 14 and blade 16 between the operative positions.

In the embodiment of FIG. 1, the folding actuator 22 may bend spine 14 and blade 12 along one of the fold lines 16 independently of the other fold lines 16. Alternatively, in the embodiment of FIG. 3, the folding actuator 22 may bend spine 14 and blade 12 simultaneously along the fold lines 16.

Reference is now made to FIG. 4, which illustrates a squeegee 40, constructed and operative in accordance with yet another embodiment of the present invention. Instead of the squeegee being shortened by folding as in the previous embodiments, in this embodiment squeegee 40 may include a modularly constructed spine and blade. For example, squeegee 40 may include a main spine 42 and a main blade 44 and one or more auxiliary spines 46 and blades 48 that modularly attach to the main spine 42 and blade 44 (e.g., by means of, but not limited to, tenon-and-groove joints as shown). The auxiliary spines 46 and blades 48 may be moved in and out of place by means of an actuator 50 that may include a stiff bent wire attached to the spines 46 and moves along handle 20.

It will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited by what has been particularly shown and described hereinabove. Rather the scope of the present invention includes both combinations and subcombinations of the features described hereinabove as well as modifications and variations thereof which would occur to a person of skill in the art upon reading the foregoing description and which are not in the prior art. 

1. Cleaning apparatus comprising: a squeegee comprising a blade held in a spine, wherein said spine and said blade are shortenable in length.
 2. The cleaning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said blade is flexible and said spine and said blade are each foldable along a fold line.
 3. The cleaning apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said squeegee comprises a handle and a folding actuator mounted on said handle, said folding actuator being connected to at least one of said spine and said blade and having at least two operative positions, a first operative position in which said spine and said blade are generally straight and a second operative position in which said spine and said blade are bent along the fold lines into a folded position.
 4. The cleaning apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said folding actuator comprises a lever connected by a linkage to at least one of said spine and said blade, wherein pivoting said lever about a pivot moves said spine and said blade between the at least two operative positions.
 5. The cleaning apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said folding actuator comprises a lever connected by a linkage to at least one of said spine and said blade, wherein sliding said lever along said handle moves said spine and said blade between the at least two operative positions.
 6. The cleaning apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said spine and said blade are foldable about more than one fold line.
 7. The cleaning apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said spine and said blade are foldable about more than one fold line, and wherein said folding actuator is operative to bend said spine and said blade simultaneously along the fold lines.
 8. The cleaning apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said spine and said blade are foldable about more than one fold line, and wherein said folding actuator is operative to bend said spine and said blade along one of the fold lines independently of the other fold lines.
 9. The cleaning apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said spine is hinged along its fold line.
 10. The cleaning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said squeegee comprises a main spine and a main blade, and at least one auxiliary spine and at least one blade that modularly attach to the main spine and the main blade.
 11. The cleaning apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said at least one auxiliary spine and blade modularly attach to the main spine and the main blade by means of tenon-and-groove joints. 